EP Poll: Postal voting on April 28, 29

COLOMBO: Polling cards for the 22,412 eligible postal voters in the Eastern Province for the May 10 Provincial Council Election were issued yesterday. Postal voting in the Batticaloa (4,427 postal voters), Trincomalee (8,517) and Ampara (9,468) districts will take place on April 28 and 29, the sources said.

Ballot papers for walk-in voters will be handed over to the Postal Department on Monday.

They will be distributed to the 982,721 eligible voters in the three districts until May 2. Special arrangements are being made to facilitate voting by IDPs. Fifty four Members will be elected to the Eastern Provincial Council on May 10 out of the 1,342 candidates nominated by 18 political parties including all major parties except the TNA and several independent groups. This is the first time that a separate election is being held for the Eastern Province, following the de-merger of the North-East Province on a Supreme Court order.

Elections to the Batticaloa local bodies were held successfully earlier and the poll was regarded as one of the most peaceful in recent times.

The elections monitoring group PAFFEREL plans to deploy 2,500 local monitors and several international observers to monitor the election campaign as well as Election Day itself.

Two monitors each will man the 1,022 polling stations. A spokesman for the organisation said they will also deploy mobile teams throughout the province on elections day. Some of these teams will include eminent persons from the respective electorates.

Three mobile teams of international teams are already active in the province and they will be joined by other international observers on polling day. They have also opened four coordinating offices - two in Ampara and one each in Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

These offices will entertain complaints from parties and individuals on acts of harassment/intimidation and violations of elections laws.

Police and Armed Forces are finalising security arrangements for the poll, which is bringing democracy to the entire East after a long lapse. All candidates have been provided security and on Election Day, police will be deployed in strength at polling centres and counting centres. Mobile police teams will also operate during and after polling hours (7 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

This election is also taking place on a Saturday in line with a recent trend.